Page 26 of Master
"Hold on, darlin'!"
I knew the second we entered the planet's atmosphere. The feeling of being in a cocktail shaker dissipated, and the craft leveled out, traveling smoothly on the air currents. Raising my head, I glimpsed pure blue sky punctuated by white and pale pink fluff and felt the warmth of relief course through my veins.
Then I noticed the trees.
Tarook was an excellent pilot. He centered the nose of the skiff toward a break in the canopy. Tree limbs slapped and scraped against the hull making the ship groan, but somehow, he kept the nose up and the wings level. When green gave way to the dark brown of thick tree trunks, I shut my eyes, tasting blood when I bit my tongue against screaming. The skiff did enough screaming for the both of us. High-pitched, jagged squeals of metal tearing as nature resisted the intrusion.
We came to a stop with a jolt, the shoulder straps of my harness holding tight enough to impart bruises. At some point, I’d put my head between my knees again. Feeling drunk and sluggish when I tried to raise my head, I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting motion sickness from a brain that seemed to swim about in my skull.
“Clara!”
The sound of feet hitting the floor echoed, and a warm, sure touch traveled over my body, pausing near my joints to palpate the muscles and tissues.
"Are you okay, darlin'? Are you hurt?"
Gingerly, I lifted one eyelid, then, finding my surroundings stilled, opened the other.
"I'm fine... I think. Just a little jostled."
Tarook clicked the harness open, and I slid forward, encountering his broad chest. He seemed to have survived the crash better than me. Only a few strands of chestnut hair escaped the bun at the back of his head. One thickly muscled arm wrapped around my waist as he brought both of us upright.
"We need to get off the ship." Tarook gazed through the front glass remained amazingly solid. We'd come to a stop in a small clearing, overshadowed by trees and overgrown with brambles. "I set her down as easily as possible, but the fuel is highly flammable."
“Say no more.” Nothing like the specter of being flambeed to get a girl up and moving.
Tarook pulled an oversized duffle from an overhead compartment and began filling it with water, food, and supplies. I followed his lead and grabbed a smaller tote, cramming it with as many supplies as possible.
The door groaned when Tarook pushed it open, tossing his bag out before jumping. I stepped to the edge, faltering, when I realized the doorway stood at least a dozen feet off the ground without the ramp.
“Um.”
“Toss your bag and jump.” Tarook opened his arms wide.
He caught my bag one-handed and dropped it before stepping closer, arms held wide again.
"I won't let you fall. I promise."
Oddly, I wasn't worried about falling. What worried me most was the idea of slamming into his muscular frame without embarrassing myself with a squeal of glee. I stepped off the edge and went airborne for a breath before landing solidly inTarook's grip. He caught me the way the hero always catches the heroine... one arm around my waist, while another rested under my legs, holding me tightly against his chest. I sucked in a deep breath, the cool air stark in my lungs, smelling of loamy earth and pine forests of home. Tarook's spicy scent seemed headier, like a drug to my senses, and my mind flooded with recollections of how good it felt being in his arms, how full and intense it felt when he was deep inside me.
Good Lord!
One Jamie Fraser moment and I’ve turned into a horny toad.
Stunned by the flip of my thoughts, I cleared my throat nervously and squirmed until Tarook set me on my feet.
"They say any landing you can walk away from is a good landing," I muttered under his curious stare. Seriously, could I be any more awkward?
“Who arethey?” Tarook picked up the bags, easily slinging both over a broad shoulder.
“Humans,” I waved his question away, focusing on my surroundings. The ship sat in a small clearing about half a football field in size, surrounded by thick, dark forest on all sides. The dual suns filtering through the leaves warmly touched my skin, but did little to brighten the shady woodlands. Although there wasn't anything noticeable but greenery and bark, I could help the tingle of awareness prickling over my skin as though some unseen creature eyed me hungrily. The by-product of my few years as the foster child of a couple who adored dispersed camping.
“Do you know where we are?”
Tarook turned in a semi-circle, gazing skyward. "About 30 milia—miles—from the main settlement." He turned again, holding his wrist comm at eye level. "That way." He pointed to the left of where the twin suns sat low in the sky. "Looks like the sun's just come up. If we hoof it, we should be able to make it to the human settlement without camping overnight.”
“Can’t we call someone?” I nodded to the device he wore at his wrist that reminded me of an oversized IWatch.
Tarook shifted his wrist so I could see the cracked face of the device. “Only the mapping system seems to work still.” He frowned. “I’m afraid we’re on foot.”
